


Sleeping Dogs

by Not_My_Problem



Category: The Order (TV 2019)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hamish is not a traitor, Hamish is the alpha, Knights of Saint Christopher, Light Angst, M/M, Not Alpha - The alpha, Pack, Pack Dynamics, Sleep Deprivation, Studying, This whole fandom needs more fics, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Werewolves, friends with benefits Hamish Duke/Vera Stone, this ship needs more fics, you get it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25556668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_My_Problem/pseuds/Not_My_Problem
Summary: Hamish suspects something is wrong with Randall.Maybe he needs pack support more than he thought.Set mid-Season 2
Relationships: Randall Carpio/Hamish Duke
Comments: 5
Kudos: 109





	Sleeping Dogs

“I’m going home. See you, Captain Ham-erica.”

It was lame, even for Randall, but that wasn’t what focused Hamish's thoughts. Even though it should have been because that was awful. His attention was on the tight coil of anxiety growing in his stomach as Randall left. It built and rose, screaming at him that something was wrong.

Hamish stood in the Grand Magis’ office alone. Something from the desk was clicking softly, probably something dangerous. Vera had left with her drink half-finished to yell at acolytes. She claimed to be back soon, but that was long before Randall even entered the office. He sighed and turned back to his book.

Randall had passed by to ask if Hamish wanted to go home together. He tried to coax Hamish out of the office by mentioning that he had not left the entire day. When he said no, Randall slumped and shuffled out of the room. Hamish presumed that he left immediately to the den and fell asleep.

Lilith would be home late, she had a date with Nicole. Hamish, however, had no intention of returning to the den tonight. He had spent more than a few nights at the temple. There was a pile of books on the history of magic in the Order that he needs to get through. He had moved his own selection to the comfort of Vera’s office. He pulled everything from the practitioner runes for his consumption. If he was going to get the edge as Knight then he wanted to know all he could. Vera was also interested in fooling around tonight as well. If the smooth way she slid past him earlier was anything to go by.

Unable to focus, Hamish dropped the book into his lap and grumbled to himself. There was no point to staring at the page with no comprehension 

Neither he nor Lilith had been around lately. The Order was taking up most of their time since they got their memories back. The magises were more oppressive with their former rivals. With that, and the mountains of information to get through, Lilith, Jack, and Randall had been scarce the past couple weeks.

Even so, he could tell something was off. In the brief recent encounters with Randall, Tundra had been restless. The wolf’s heartbeat fast and loud underneath his skin and it refused to focus on anything else. The wolf pushed Hamish to spend more time with Randall and check him. Tundra knew that something was wrong with its packmate and longed to take action against anything hurting his pack.

Hamish had long ago learned to trust Tundra's instincts. And he was able to separate Tundra’s will from the other, more natural emotions that sometimes pushed him toward Randall. No, this was different. This was Tundra and his pack instincts. Maybe something was wrong with his packmate that Hamish wasn’t seeing. If it distressed his wolf, it couldn't be dismissed.

Hamish made his decision as he snatched a journal from his pile and flipped it open. As soon as he finished with the books, he would go home and check on Randall. Just to make sure.

By the time Hamish had torn through the final grimoire, it was well past 3 am. Though there were no windows in the office, there was a golden clock on the desk that told him. When Vera leaned into his lap suggestively, he outright refused. 

“I have to get some sleep tonight, 8 am lecture in the morning.” Hamish lied. It was the only response he awarded her.

Vera rolled her eyes and clicked a nail against her crystal scotch glass. She sighed, “The joys of education.” 

Vera slid off of him, allowing him to stand and leave the room. 

When he got home, Lilith was already shut up in her room. The date must have ended earlier than planned. Hamish snatched her jacket off the floor and hung it away.

He found Randall’s room open and empty. Hamish expected to see Randall spread out over his mattress, snoring but the bed was bare. He frowned and descended into the living room. He did a quick scan and saw nothing. The anxiety spiked. Had Randall not come home? Did something happen to him on the way back?

“Randall?”

“Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you come in.” The voice came from behind the couch. A rush of calm flooded him as he realized Randall was there. Hamish circled the couch and found Randall sitting on the floor. He had three textbooks and a notebook spread out in front of him. There were sheets of crumpled notes stuffed between the pages. Some papers had fallen out, crumpled in piles underneath the couch. Highlighters and pens were lying over the floor. Randall had spread his stuff across much of the floor.

Randall was wrapping headphones around his phone when he glanced up at Hamish with a half-smile.

Hamish’s eyebrows knitted together when he saw Randall’s face. Dark, sleepy smudges on his face and his light-filled eyes were drooping. Randall’s forced a smile and it was more like a grimace than anything else.

“I thought you were going to stay at the temple tonight. Lilith came back a few hours ago, all smiley. I think Nicole’s finally put her in a good mood.” Randall was able to manage more of a grin at that.

Hamish still stared at Randall’s fatigued features, “Yeah, I thought I’d come back tonight anyway. What are you still doing awake?”

It was almost like Randall spaced out for a second. He stared off over Hamish’s shoulder before snapping back to reality “I’m sorry, what?”

His stomach clenched even more. Hamish leaned down, “Why. Are. You. Still. Awake?”

“Oh, right” With a tired smile, Randall tilted one of his textbook’s so the cover was showing, “I have a biochemistry test tomorrow. It’s worth a huge percent of my grade and a damn monstrosity is what it is.”

He held open a notebook and pointed to a smudge of blue ink, “Like this. What is this? I wrote it and I don’t even know what it says!”

“You look like you haven’t slept in days,” Hamish commented.

Randall ignored him and squinted at the notebook, “That’s pyrimidine.” He decided and scrawled something next to it.

“Hey!” Hamish raised his voice, Randall’s eyes shot up, “When was the last time you slept?”

Randall frowned and then forced a chuckle, “Come on, I’ve just been studying. I’ll sleep after the test.” He looked around, “I need my calculator.”

He stood and wandered out of the room toward the door where his bag was. Hamish didn’t move, but watched Randall’s back, “That wasn’t an answer.”

“I’ve pulled all-nighters before a test before, Hamish. It is literally the only way to consume all this information. Seriously, man, it is an unholy amount.” Randall came back with his calculator clutched in his hand.

Hamish crossed his arms, “It’s not only an all-nighter, Randall. You look exhausted.”

“Wow, thanks. I didn’t know I signed up for Hamish Duke’s runway competition. Next, you can judge my catwalk on the way back to the study nest here.”

Hamish growled, “Stop ignoring this.”

“Jesus, dude, why do you even care? It’s not like you’ve been here at night in the past week.” Randall snapped.

“So, what? Now I can’t know what’s going on in my own home?” He asked.

“If you are not going to be here, I don’t see why I have to explain myself to you.” 

“Because you’re my friend and my beta and I care about you!” Hamish yelled. Randall got quiet and Hamish recollected himself, “Now, when did you last sleep?”

“I got, like, five hours Friday night,” Randall mumbled.

Hamish scrunched his brow, “Lord, Randall, that was three days ago. What is going on with you?”

Randall shrugged dramatically, “I don’t know, I’m stressed, okay. Jack’s off doing god knows what. We lost our memories to a bunch of psychos in Halloween masks. You’re away from the den so much. I’ve got chemistry and calculus this term, yes, Hamish I am actually worried about the test. I’ve had such a knot in my gut, I’ve barely been able to stomach food, let alone alcohol.”

“Wait, you haven’t been eating either?” Hamish interrupted, “Is your plan to study and worry until you collapse?”

Randall raised his hands in a wide gesture, “As I said, it’s really none of your business. It’s not like I’m pressing you about your late nights out getting all dark academic sexy with Vera.”

Hamish knew Randall was still having a problem with that. He didn’t trust The Order and he was apprehensive about how involved with it The Knights were becoming. He definitely didn’t approve of Hamish’s relationship with Vera. However, Hamish was hoping that Randall had the insight to know that he would never let Vera blind him to the cause. And he would never let the Order hurt them.

“That’s different,” He clenched a fist.

Randall nodded, “Yeah, because I skipped a few meals, while you are, with no exaggeration, sleeping with the enemy.”

“Randall, this isn't about me or Vera or the Order.” Hamish said, “This is about you and your irresponsible behavior.”

“Yeah, I get it, you can fuck off and do whatever the hell you want, so I should deal with it.” Randall gathered his books from the floor, “Well, I am dealing with it, this is how I deal. I’m going to go to study in my room. Have a good night, Hamish.”

Hamish didn't know what to say, so he let Randall climb the stairs and shut himself in his room.

Hamish knew he had been neglecting his pack. An inexcusable sin after the trauma people they thought they could trust feeding them false memories. His pack needed support and certainty and Hamish fell short. He missed Cassie a lot in times like this. She was so strong and in tune with her pack instincts.

Tundra pushed him to burst into Randall’s room, force-feed him, and hold Randall until he fell asleep. But Hamish had also been with Tundra enough to know when to hold back. If Hamish was so upset with him, he could ask Lilith to talk to him. However, Lilith’s concern would manifest in a violent outburst and Randal didn’t need that. Randall’s situation needed a more delicate touch.

Hamish pinched the bridge of his nose, ridding himself of the physical stress this nightmare was putting on him. He poured a 7 and 7 from the bar and then ascended the stairs into his own room.

When Hamish woke up the next morning, Randall was gone. Lilith claimed that he had left early for his test before slipping out herself for a class.

For a brief moment, Hamish considered leaving well enough alone. Going back to the Order and finishing his books. Letting Vera fuck the guilt out of him. But he found himself leaning on the edge of the den couch. 

He should have been around more after they got their memories back. It was hard on him too. Though he couldn't recognize it then, he felt the absence of his pack. The moment his memories returned, it filled a black void in his life. Everything felt better in the world.

More jarring was the reintroduction of his feelings for Randall. He had buried them so deep before and finding them again was unsettling. Hamish was lucky that he didn’t shout the truth to the rest of the pack along with his forgotten locker combination.

Even if he couldn't tell Randall, he wanted to ensure he was healthy. Regardless of his absence, Hamish was responsible for his pack. Lilith was struggling with her relationship, Jack was knee-deep in the Order, and Randall, apparently, was self-destructing. Hamish had failed his friends and he needed to make it right. 

When the front door finally opened, he straightened with determination.

“How was your test?”

“Awful.” Randall slammed the door behind him. “Eventually all the words blurred and I answered C for everything. There was a short answer that I’m convinced I wrote the Star Trek intro in.”

Hamish nodded, “Well, that’s what happens when you're starving and exhausted.”

“Can you not, right now, Hamish. I’m so not in the mood.” Randall slid his bag onto a chair.

“I’m not angry with you.” Hamish sighed, “I’m worried. And I’m ashamed.”

Randall turned to face him, whatever he was about to say forgotten. Hamish continued, “Losing our memories took a toll on us. As people and as knights. I threw myself into the Order for an edge and to keep a closer eye on them so this would never happen again. But in doing so, I forgot that you need me. All of you. You've had to fight one thing after another in our old enemy's territory with little support. It shouldn't shock me that it's damaging your health."

"It's not 'damaging my health'. I told you, I'm fine," Randall said, "but, yeah, okay, it was hard. I know we never talk about this stuff and you and Lilith seemed to move on so quickly-"

"Randall, just because Lilith and I internalize, doesn't mean we're not struggling. And it definitely does not mean you have to pretend to be fine around us."

“I know,” he answered quietly, “but we’re knights, Hamish. I don’t want to be weak, especially with Vera breathing down our necks all the time now.”

“Vera is the grand magis and she has authority over the magic here. We have to adapt to the Order and its principles, it’s the only way to get through this.”

"My problem with Vera isn't only that she's the grand magis." Randall mumbled, "its- it's your relationship with her."

"If you trust me, there's no reason you should care who I'm sleeping with. You're happy for Lilith and Nicole" Hamish said, "unless you- Oh."

Randall refused to meet Hamish's eye, but Hamish watched his face turn crimson, "You don't like my relationship with Vera."

“I probably shouldn't have said that,” He groaned, “Sorry, hypoglycemia has destroyed my verbal filter.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Hamish snapped, “Please, don’t be sorry.”

Hamish rested his fingers under Randall’s chin. He pressed his lips against Randall’s for a moment. “Randall, listen to me closely. No matter what happens, I care about you and I want you safe and healthy”

Randall blinked, “Did- did you kiss me?” 

Hamish rolled his eyes, “Yes, Randall. I like you. I felt it was unrequited, and inappropriate at best.”

“No! No, not all. It is requited. Very much requited.” Randall grinned.

Randall tried to crash his lips back to Hamish’s but Hamish stopped him. “No. First, you need food and sleep.”

“But-”

“No arguing,” Hamish told him, “My smittenness does not absolve this problem. Besides, now I need no excuse to ask you to sleep in my bed.”

Hamish fed Randall. A fast bowl of cereal, enough to fill his stomach before sleep. Hamish poured the small bowl and watched Randall shovel the flakes into his mouth. He was unlikely to ever admit how much provided food for him satisfied Tundra. 

When Randall finished, Hamish left the bowl, not bothering to clean it. He dragged Randall up the stairs and into his own bedroom. Randall crawled his tired body onto the mattress.

Hamish heard a pleasant rumble from under the sheet. Randall and Greybeard were content wrapped in the alpha's scent. 

“Goodnight, Ham-merhead”


End file.
